With PM Narendra Modi in Singapore, the Indian delegation today signed as many as 10 pacts that elevated the ties to the ‘strategic partnership’ level. Here, in brief, are the 10 pacts that Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed along with Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong:
1) Joint declaration by the two Prime Ministers on a strategic partnership
“India and Singapore elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership to deepen and broaden engagement in existing areas of cooperation and catalyse new ones ranging from political, defence and security cooperation to economic, cultural and people-to-people contact. The strategic partnership is also a framework to contribute to greater regional stability and growth,” the joint declaration said.
2) Enhanced defence cooperation, which provides for defence ministers’ dialogue
3) Joint exercises between both countries’ armed forces. The two countries also signed an operationalisation document for the technical agreement on sharing ‘White Shipping Information’ between the Indian Navy and Singapore Navy agreed upon on July 21, 2015.
4) Cooperation between defence industries to identify areas of co-production and co-development
5) An agreement on the extension of loan of artifacts to the Asian Civilisations Museum of Singapore
6) An MoU between Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the Indian IT department and Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCERT), Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency on security cooperation. The MoU promotes closer cooperation and exchange of information on cyber attacks; research collaboration in smart technologies and more.
7) An MoU was also signed between Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) to facilitate mutual cooperation in a number of mutually agreed areas of civil aviation services and airport management beginning with Jaipur and Ahmedabad airports.
8) A pact was signed between National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) on cooperation in the field of planning. This MoU promotes knowledge and information exchange in urban planning, waste water management, solid waste management and public-private partnerships between the two organisations.
9) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) of Singapore also signed an MoU on cooperation to combat illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substance and their precursors.
10) MoU between the Town and Country Planning Organisation of India and the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise in Capacity Building in urban planning and governance provides for wider engagement between the two nations.